Take Me Under
by fuzzySlippers1005
Summary: Twenty-two year old Arnold is a boxer and back in town after living five years with cousin Arnie when a past mistake drove him away from his childhood home. He meets Helga, an army veteran, at the local gym. As they continue to spend time together, will his past demons haunt over their heads, putting everything they have at risk?
1. Chapter 1

"Harder," Coach spits in my face. I give his glove another swing, breathing out as I exert.

"I said harder! Can you hear?" he pushes me again.

I hit him more forcefully this time and he takes a step back.

"Better. That's good for today, hit the showers," Coach tells me.

"Same time tomorrow?" I ask.

"You bet. If you want to be ready for the tourney, we are going to have to work this hard everyday," he tells me.

"Of course, Coach. I want to be as ready as possible," I say.

"Good. See you then," he dismisses me.

I pick up my towel to wipe the sweat off my forehead, face, and neck. My body is aching but it's the best feeling.

I grab my bag and step out of the multi-purpose room and head over to the bathroom to shower.

The tournament is in three short months. I know that sounds like a lot of time, but there is never enough time. Time will run out, everything will run out.

My thoughts cloud my mind as I feel myself bump into a firm arm.

I hear the person scoff and I look up to apologize.

"Helga?" I say, completely surprised. I haven't seen her in years.

"Football Head?"

"Hey," I say. I'm not quite sure what to say. The last time I saw her was junior year of high school and here we are five years later.

"I didn't know you come to this gym. Hey where have you been the last few years anyway?" she asks. I use this time to finally take in her appearance.

She's wearing navy blue shorts and a gray tank top. Her legs are toned and her arms are shaped. Her tight stomach constrains against her clingy top. Wow, she is in shape. Her shoulder looks as though it has been indented from an accident.

"Um, I was moving around a bit but I'm back now. How have you been?" I ask and sling my bag over my other shoulder. I don't know why I am suddenly nervous. It's Helga, we have been friends for years.

"I just got back from stationing at Iraq last week," she says like it's no big deal.

"Oh I didn't know you served," I say. "I guess I missed out on a lot," I say.

"Yeah I have been writing letters back and forth with Phoebe though so she keeps me up to date on everything. You just kind of left though. Where did you go again?" she asks.

"Um, with my cousin. Remember Arnie?" I almost laugh of the memory of him being in love with her.

"I sure remember him," she half laughs. "So did you just get done with your workout?" she asks. I'm surprised by how normal of a conversation we are having. We both sort of left each other alone in high school years and I haven't talked or seen her since I left.

"Yeah, I was working on the punching bags then my coach comes to train me," I explain.

"Oh, so you're a boxer," she smirks. "Never imagined the lover Arnold turning into a fighter," she laughs.

"Hey, it's not fighting, it's a sport," I try to defend and keep a straight face but I end up cracking a smile as well.

"Whatever you say, Arnoldo. It's still fighting," she smirks and crosses her arms.

I only roll my eyes at her. "Really? We are twenty two and you are still going to call me those childish nicknames?" I say.

"Of course. I can't let you forget where you come from," she smirks again. "Anyway, I got to get on with my work out. I can't let these muscles go to waste," she says and flexes her arms.

"Show off," I smile at her.

"Whatever. Maybe I'll see you around, Football Head," she says and passes by me into the weight room.

As I walk to the bathroom, I ponder over what just happened. I just bumped into Helga Pataki, my past tormenter, bully, classmate, partner, friend, and we had a normal conversation. We didn't talk much in high school but I guess I never noticed how much she changed.

Her personality is lighter somehow, and she seems more at peace with herself and stronger about her persona, but there is no doubt she could tell me off any minute. I guess serving did her good.

I start to think about what to do with the rest of the day and I get an epiphany. It's crazy, but what is life if you're not a little crazy sometimes?

I walk back to the weight room and see Helga doing one hundred pound bicep curls. Jesus.

"Hey," I say after she finishes her set.

"You again?" she teases me with a smile. "What's up, did I drop something?"

"No, um. Are you doing anything tonight?" I ask. My eyes dart from hers then I focus back on them.

"Uh… no." She's surprised by my question.

"Would you like to go out for dinner tonight? I was just thinking of going to Vince's," I ask.

"S-sure," she says after a few moments of silence. "I'd love to," she replies and her voice picks back up.

"Okay, should we exchange numbers? I can pick you up whenever is convenient for you. How about six thirty?" I ask. I feel like I'm rambling.

"That sounds good," she says and leans against the bar rack. "You have your phone? I'll put my number in," she says and I dig through my bag to find it.

I place it in her hand and wait as she punches her number in.

"That should do it. I'll text you for my address later," she says and goes to move up her weights.

"Okay, great. See you then," I say and almost hop out of the gym.

Why am I so giddy? I guess I just miss talking to people from my hometown who actually understand me. Even though we have had our differences, I know Helga is one of my true friends and wouldn't judge me.

Maybe I shouldn't have asked her. I know it's not good of me to get close to people, but it's just one dinner. How far could that go?

**A/N:**** I'm back :) I have missed the fanfiction community! Someone hacked my account and deleted my stories, so they are gone now… I changed my password though so I hope I won't have that problem again. I miss everyone :)**


	2. Chapter 2

"Ow," I say as my toe collides with the side of the bookshelf. This apartment is too damn small, but sadly is the only thing I can afford right now.

If I win this tournament coming up, I will make big bank and be able to buy a nicer place. Maybe I can get a house. One thing at a time, I remind myself.

I throw my gym bag on the floor and grab my phone from my pocket.

"You have reached the number of-" the automated voice says in my ear and I hang up. Every time I try to call home, my old home, they won't pick up. I guess they finally invested in a phone with caller ID.

I know it wouldn't go over well if I showed up to their house. They will either yell at me, kick me out, call the cops, or all of the above.

I need to make amends with my grandparents and show them that I have changed and want to be a part of their lives again. I just don't know how….

I take a shower since I forgot to at the gym because Helga distracted me. Showering helps me feel better anyway.

….

**400 spruce street** Helga's text reads. I quickly put it in my maps and see she is only five minutes away. Right now it is only six, so I'll leave in about twenty minutes.

My phone rings and it's a number I don't recognize.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Hello, Arnold," a cold voice says that turns my blood to ice. I know exactly who this is.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Word on the street is that you're back. I'd love to see you," he says.

"I'm not back, I don't know where you heard that. I'm still gone," I lie. I do not want to see him or any of the others again.

"Is that so? Well I must have gotten some wrong information then. Well I just wanted to check and see. Goodbye, Arnold," he says and I hang up without saying bye.

Shit.

Someone obviously saw me from the old group and now I have to worry about not running into any more. I should leave again… but I can't keep running from my problems. I shouldn't have even lied. I should call David back and tell him I am here. Well it's too late for that now.

I decide to not think about it and get to Helga's place early. If she isn't ready, I'll just wait outside.

I call here when I reach the outside of her building.

"Yeah?" she answers.

"Hey, I know I'm early but I'm just letting you know I'm ready when you are," I say.

"Oh, I'm already ready. I'll come down," she says and a big flood of relief flows over me.

I see her step out of the front door of the building wearing dark blue jeans, a white tank top and a pink cardigan.

"Sup, Arnoldo," she says as she gets in my car.

"Hey. You look great," I compliment and start to roll away from the curb.

"Thanks. You clean up well yourself," she says and I smile. I only threw on black jeans and a white, short-sleeved button up.

"I haven't been to Vince's in forever," I say.

"Yeah well anything beats the food they give us at camp," she laughs.

"Oh yeah. How is that anyway? The living conditions," I ask.

"You adjust. It was hell at first, but you learn what you really need to survive. It's almost like prison," she laughs.

"Well I can tell you have learned a lot the past years," I say.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asks.

"I mean, you are different now. You're the same Helga but you seem… I don't know, stronger now. I'm trying to compliment you but doing a shit job at it," I admit and she laughs.

"I'd say. Did you not talk to anyone at Arnie's? Because you sure have lost touch with your communication skills," she jokes and hits my shoulder.

"Whatever," I say then join her in laughter.

I park in the lot and we walk to the front of the restaurant.

"Two, please," I tell the hostess.

"That will be a ten minute wait," she informs us.

"Okay, thank you," I say and we step outside in the cool breeze of the summer air.

"So how long have you been boxing?" Helga asks me.

"A few years now. About four? I don't know but it feels like a long time," I try to explain.

"What made you get into it? I was quite surprised hearing you say that."

"I just… it was just a hobby at first to help relieve stress but I just grew more attached to it. Then my current coach saw me in the gym one day and asked if I was competitive and that's how it all started I guess."

"Interesting…" she says and looks off into the sky.

"What about you? What made you decide to join the army?" I ask.

"I didn't want to go to college and sure as hell wasn't ready to get a job yet. Plus, I didn't want to just be sitting home on the couch all day, like Bob would allow that anyway. So I decided army was the best thing for me."

"So are you ready to start a job now? Or…"

"I will look around. Maybe I can start as a secretary and work my way up to take over America," she laughs.

"Oh yeah, because all of the great rulers of the world started out as secretaries," I tease her and she pushes me again.

"Whatever, Football Head. You won't be laughing when you see my face on every single billboard you drive by," she says and sticks her tongue out at me.

"You are so immature," I say and stick mine at her back.

"Yeah, I'm the immature one," she says.

It's so odd how I can go five years without seeing her and we are already joking and laughing like we just picked up where we left off, and we didn't really leave off anywhere. And the best part is I feel like I can be myself around her without worrying about what she thinks of me.

I find myself looking deep into her blue eyes as she looks at something to the side. She is really pretty.

"Arnold, party of two," the hostess announces and we make our way inside. The lady asks how our day is going as she awaits us to the table. We both order water when the server comes.

Helga takes one look at the menu, then closes it shut and places it on the table.

"Know what you want already?" I ask.

"Yup. I get the same thing every time I come here. Spaghetti and meat sauce with soup and salad," she says with confidence.

"That's usually what I get but now you're tempting me to try something different," I say and smile at her.

"Get what you want, bucko. I'm going to the bathroom," she says and gets up from the table.

I watch her leave then take out my cell phone. David called me again? Did he see me?

I begin to panic and start going through courses of action in my head.

I should just take Helga home and leave. No, that's rude. Well I will take her straight back after we finish the meal.

As my nerves begin to settle, I see a familiar face, two, familiar faces enter the restaurant. Shit.

The hostess tries to ask them how many but they completely ignore her and search around the room for me.

Carlos, the bald one with a beard, is wearing all black: black pants with a black leather jacket. Richard has shaggy, dirty blonde hair and is practically wearing the same thing.

I consider hiding under the table until I remember I'm not going to hide from my fears anymore.

They spot me and I get up from the table. I really hope I can get them to leave before Helga sees or before they see Helga.

"Gentlemen," I greet them as politely as I can.

"So you _are_ back. David just told us you claimed you weren't, and here you are," Carlos says.

"Yeah, well I just got back," I lie and put my hands in my pockets.

"You know what happens with liars, Kane. You should know the best out of everyone," Carlos threatens again while Richard just stands there trying to be cool.

"Look, I am out of that group now. You guys can't hurt me. I did my time then left and you guys have to respect that," I try to negotiate with them.

"Oh we respect that, all right. And now you're going to have to pay the price for lying, again. You are never going to be safe, Arnold. Just remember that," Richard's nasally voice says and his smile reveals his yellow-stained teeth.

"Arnold?" I hear from behind me. Dammit.

I turn and Helga is standing there with a confused expression.

"Oh, look who we have here. Is this your girlfriend, Arnold?" Richard laughs a disgusting laugh.

"No, I just met her. We have to go though so bye," I say and reach behind me to grasp Helga's hand and take her out of the restaurant. I hear them snicker but I don't care. My priority now is to get Helga home safely making sure no one is following us.

"What the hell was that all about?" Helga asks when we get outside.

"Nothing. It's nothing. I'm sorry but I should take you home," I tell her.

"No. I'm not going until you explain to me what just happened right now." God, she is as stubborn as ever.

"You don't have to worry. Me taking you out was a bad idea," I say and her eyes soften. "No, not like that I mean…. Ugh I don't know how to explain. I'm sorry, Helga please let me take you home."

"You have some beef with those guys?" she asks. We are still standing face to face outside.

"You could say that. They are the reason why I left and now that I'm back, they want to intimidate me again, but it won't happen. I just don't want you to get mixed up in all of this. This shit is too complicated," I explain and run my hand over my hair.

After a moment of silence, she speaks again.

"I understand if you don't want to tell me but it can help if you talk a situation out instead of keeping it inside," she says. I look up at her and her face is completely genuine with no judgment at all.

"I just don't want to hurt any more people," I tell her.

"Hey, no one can break me. I'm army strong," she jokes causing a smile to break out on both of our faces.

"Okay, I will tell you. First let's get out of the damn open."

**A/N:**** I'm so glad people seem to be liking this so far! To clear up some questions, I said partner because they were partners in school projects. Arnold and Helga haven't been in a relationship before. Also, the picture for this story is just a picture of me and my friend, but I do admit he looks a lot like Arnold, so I could just be a Helga with dark hair ;) lol hope everyone had a good Sunday and Father's Day if you celebrated!**


	3. Chapter 3

"You warm enough?" I ask as we get in the car.

"I'm fine. Now, spill," she demands.

I sigh and put my seat belt on before starting the car.

"Well, it started when I was seventeen. We were seventeen." I have never explained the situation to anyone before. I never thought I would have to and I feel clammy.

"Yeah…." she says.

"You know Gerald. Of course you remember Gerald. But he started in this… this gang."

"A gang?" she asks and looks over at me as I drive down the street.

"Yeah… I don't know why he started but he started telling me about it."

"And being in a gang sounded so appealing?" she questions.

"No…. no, dammit. I would take it all back if I could but… anyway. We were short on boarders in the boarding house at the time and that meant less money coming in. I did it for my grandparents, but when they found out… they were so mad. They kicked me out," I say. Talking about it almost makes my eyes water, but I won't let any tears fall over it.

"So, then you moved to the middle of nowhere with Arnie," she states.

"Yeah. I wanted out of that stupid shit. That wasn't who I was, even if I was doing it for a better reason," I explain to her. There are many other details that I am leaving out and I'm sure she knows that, but I don't want to talk about those. Not yet anyway.

"Damn. So are you and Gerald still cool?" she asks.

I almost laugh. "No. I know I shouldn't blame him because I chose to do it, but I know for damn sure I would have never if he didn't introduce it to me," I say and clench my hands on the steering wheel.

"That's a shame. You guys were the best of friends. I thought for sure you guys would always be friends."

"Best friends are overrated, Helga. There's no such thing as a best friend. You are always alone in this world and you only use people when you need them." I'm surprised by my own revelation but it's already out there and Helga is looking at me like I'm a mad man, and I probably am.

I pull up to the curb of her apartment building. I feel awkward since we didn't even eat and now I am kind of dumping her back home.

"I'm sorry, Helga. It's no good for you to hang out with me. You will only get tangled in this fuck up of a mess. It was nice to catch up, but we should stay acquaintances," I tell her. She only looks straight ahead with a murderous glare and I am glad that it is not being thrown at me yet.

"No," she finally says.

"No?"

"No," she says and turns to me. "You can't tell me what is best for me. You aren't the only person who has been through hell in the past years. I too saw things I didn't want to, and did some things that I'm not proud of. But we all have to do the things that we have to do to survive. We aren't in that place anymore, Arnold. You're not in the gang anymore and I'm not in Iraq anymore. It's okay to have people in your life."

"People hurt you, and you hurt people."

"People make you feel great, and you can make other people feel great. It's all how you choose to live, Arnold. Don't be afraid because things didn't work out once. There are more good times than bad, but if you choose to focus on the bad ones, that's on you."

I stare at her. I stare into her deep, pretty blue eyes and my hand involuntarily moves to her face. She is right. I don't want her to be, but it's true. I tuck a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.

"You're right," I tell her.

"I know," she says.

The air feels hotter and thicker and the silence is ringing in my ears.

"Well, since we didn't eat, I could cook us something inside?" she offers.

"Um, okay," I agree. She smiles and takes off her seat belt.

"Park in the back then I'll meet you in the front," she says and gets out of the car.

I do as she says and I naturally look around to make sure no one is around. I don't see anyone and she is waiting in the front just like she said.

"I had to clean up some things before I let you in," she says and grabs my hand.

"I wouldn't mind the mess anyway," I tell her.

"I'm sure you won't mind taking the stairs," she says as we climb six sets of stairs.

"Oh god, I work out my arms, not legs," I say. I'm out of breath by the time we get to her floor.

"Please, Football Head. You're embarrassing me," she laughs as I catch my breath.

We walk down the hallway with my hand still in hers as she leads me to the fourth door on the left. She lets go of my hand to grab her keys from her pocket and unlock the door.

The lights reveal a normal looking apartment in the middle of the city. There is a beige couch facing a TV, a blue kitchen with a counter, a small dining table, and I can see two other doors which are probably her bath and bedroom.

"Wow it's… nice," I say as I take a look around. There are medals and certificates on achievements on the walls along with some pictures of her friends, family, and time at camp.

"It's suitable. It's simple, like me," she laughs.

"Oh you're simple?" I say and take a step toward her. She keeps her stance but her smile only provokes me further.

"Yeah. Why, got anything more to say about that?" Is she flirting with me?

"Nope, I have nothing to say," I say and lean in to plant my lips on hers.

…..

"Wow….." is the only thing I say as we both lay on our backs on her bed. Oh yeah, and we are naked.

"Yeah…" she says. We are both catching our breaths coming down from that high.

I did not expect that to happen at all. I thought we were just going to have some fun, but I just got lost in her…

Helga is so wise, so smart, so strong. I wish I knew what she is thinking. I can already feel my feelings developing for this… this beauty. I love how she opened up and tried to help me earlier, and she stood up for what she wanted.

"So, I guess I should start dinner now," she says and tries to cover herself as she gets up from the bed. She grabs sweats from her closet and puts on her shirt without looking at me and leaves the door open as she leaves.

That wasn't the reaction I was expecting at all. I don't want her to be closed off to me now. I opened up to her as well and put trust in her.

I get out of the bed, put my pants back on and leave the bedroom. My shirt is wrinkled now so I'll just leave it off.

"What's that you're making?" I ask from behind her working on the stove.

"Spaghetti. Since we didn't get our own," she says keeping her back faced to me.

"Thank you," I say and lean into her while placing my left hand on her hip. She doesn't respond and continues to stir the sauce around in the pot.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah."

What's up with her? I know what we just did was kind of spontaneous and this is the first day we have talked in years, but we have known each other our whole lives and I don't feel awkward with her at all no matter how much time has passed. We have been through a lot together.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask.

"Nothing."

"Bullshit, Helga. Were you not okay with what just happened? Tell me if so," I try to hint it out of her.

She sighs outwardly and moves from my touch.

"I was just thinking… before in the car you said people can never be close and that we just use people," she says and finally looks my way.

"Yeah… oh. Helga, I wasn't using you just now. I wanted it. You are beautiful, you are strong, I love the way you think. You are so smart…"

"I don't know, Arnold. I feel like this is too good to be true. I don't want to just jump in this after one night."

"I understand that. I'm not sure exactly what I am feeling, but I know that I want to at least try and see what it can be. This was kind of a fast start, but when have things between us ever been normal?" My own efforts surprise myself. Being a lone wolf these last years was okay to me until just now when I remembered what I was missing out on by being with someone.

Something about sharing my life with another person is just appealing, the good and bad parts.

"Never," she half smiles.

"Do you trust me?" I ask. I have to ask.

"I…" she looks away from me.

"Do you trust me, Helga?" I ask again. The uncertainty in her eyes makes my stomach drop. The connection we made has me hooked already.

"I… I trust you, Arnold. I trust you, but you have to trust me too. You can't just push me away when you don't want me and suddenly take me back when you do."

"I won't do that, I swear. Can we just see how this turns out? I have tried to stay away from people, but I know you are strong enough to deal with all of my shit."

"What are you asking?" she asks and takes her lip between her teeth.

"Will you date me? Nothing too serious right now. We can just see how this goes. For now," I say. I feel I am treading on thin water and my heart is about to hammer out of my chest.

She looks at me then laughs lightly.

"You know what's funny, Arnoldo? I have been waiting for you to ask me that for eighteen long ass years," she says and hooks her arms around my neck and brings me in to kiss me.

"So is that a yes?" I ask against her lips. She just laughs.

"Shut up," she responds and kisses me again.


	4. Chapter 4

"Ten more, Kane," Coach tells me. My arms are killing me and sweat is dripping off my body.

"You call those pushups? My grandma can do better than that, and she's laughing at you in her grave right now!"

I groan as I continue the pushups. After I finish my seventy, I fall flat on my stomach and catch my breath.

"All right, five minute break. Then get back on your feet," Coach says and leaves me on the floor.

I roll over on my back and look at the ceiling while my breath slows down. A lean figure with blonde hair stands over me.

"Good morning, sunshine," Helga smirks at me.

"Hey," I say and get up. "Are you following me or something?" I tease her and lean down to give her a kiss.

"Yeah because I totally stalk you," she laughs.

"Did you just get here?"

"Yeah, I'll probably be here for an hour or so. Or whenever these weights bore me. Oh guess what?" she asks and her eyes perk up.

"What?" I smile.

"I got a job! They called me this morning. I applied about a week ago and had an interview but I didn't think I would actually get it," she gushes.

"That's great! I'm happy for you," I say and pull her in for a hug. "Sorry, I'm sweaty," I say but don't let go. "What is it, your secretary job that will help you take over America?"

"No, Football Head. It's just at a music store. They sell CDs and movies and shit," she says.

"Oh that's great. Make sure you say 'and shit' when you're trying to sell CDs," I bump her shoulder. She takes a step back and grabs her shoulder with no humor on her face.

"What? What is it?" I say. Did I hurt her? Oh shit, that's when I remember that scar I saw on her shoulder yesterday.

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Helga," I say and try to reach out and touch her but she pulls away.

"It's fine. I'm fine. It's just sensitive there so don't touch it," she tells me.

"Okay, Helga. I'm sorry," I try to tell her but she just looks away.

"All right, Kane. Grab your gloves, we're going to work on your left side today," Coach says as he returns. "Oh, is this your friend?" he says and takes a glance at Helga.

"Yes. Coach this is Helga, Helga this is Coach."

"Nice to meet you," Helga says first and sticks out her hand. I almost laugh because I think of how her reaction would have been in elementary school which would have been a "shove off, you big toot," or something along those lines.

"You too," Coach says and returns the handshake. "Well let's get going, you can talk to her later."

I turn around as we walk away and blow her a kiss. She just rolls her eyes and walks to her weights.

**Helga POV**

"So how has your week been so far?" Dr. Bliss asks me as she takes a seat on her chair with clipboard in hand.

"It's been good. Great, actually," I tell her and try to keep my smile down. I don't want to look like a complete bimbo.

"Did anything new happen?" she asks me and jots something on the clipboard.

"Sort of. Well, I was at the gym yesterday and ran into my old friend," I explain slowly.

"Oh, which one? Someone from school or the army?" she asks.

"School," I say and lean back on the lounge chair.

"How did that go?" she asks me.

"It went… really well. I hadn't seen him in about five years and we ended up going to dinner. It started out weird, but ended really, really well," I say and don't fight my smile this time.

"That's great. Do you think you will continue to see him?" Bliss asks.

"Yeah he asked if I would date him. He said nothing serious now just, see where this goes. It's weird doc, I have always had feelings for him and now after one day of seeing each other, we are suddenly together? I feel like there's a catch somewhere," I confess. That's why I was closed off while starting the dinner because I wasn't sure if he meant what happened or not.

"Well, maybe he had those feelings for you but didn't have a chance to express them before. How long have you known him?"

"Since pre-k. It's Arnold, doc. Remember?" I say and look over at her.

"Arnold? You mean the blonde boy who you used to worship?" she asks with her mouth slightly gaped.

"Um, yeah… I don't do that anymore though. I stopped after seventh grade," I say. It's true that I let those feelings go, but they will still always be in my heart.

"Wow that is a coincidence. You said you met him at the gym?"

"Yeah, apparently he's some great boxer now so he was practicing," I say. I'm not going to tell her about his past. That's his business and I still don't know all that has happened anyway.

"Oh well that's good. I am glad you two reconnected. I'm thinking that he has had some feelings before that either he didn't tell you or maybe he himself didn't know about."

"Maybe, I don't know. I try not to think about things so much now because it just eats you away," I tell her.

"That is true, Helga. I'm so proud of you," Bliss smiles at me. "Anything else new this week?"

I think a moment and then respond. "Oh yeah, I got a job at a music store so that will help. I mean I get money for my shoulder, but this will be even better."

"And how is that feeling? Your shoulder?" she asks.

"It gets stiff at night and when I wake up, but it's okay. It rarely hurts anymore unless I pick up something heavy. Well today Arnold touched it and I flinched but that's because I'm not used to other people touching it. I don't know, it's just sensitive still I guess," I ramble to her.

"That's understandable. I don't think he was trying to hurt you but I can see how you wouldn't be comfortable with anyone touching it."

"Yeah, it's just still new you know. I got lucky mine was the least damaged compared to the other casualties that were in that tank."

"You did and I am glad."

"I talked to Carter recently. He's coming here in two weeks," I tell Bliss.

"Oh really? That should be fun. What will you two do?"

"I don't know yet, I'm not big on plans but I sure do miss him. I haven't seen him for… three months now."

"That will be good. Let's just hope Arnold doesn't get jealous now," she laughs.

"He will be fine. I don't think he's the jealous type." Arnold has nothing to worry about. I have had feelings for him forever so there is no way I would do anything with anyone else in the risk of messing this up.

"Let's just hope so," says Bliss.

**Arnold POV**

"I'm coming over," I say in the phone.

"No, let me come over," she says in the phone.

"And let you walk? How much a gentleman would I be if I let you do that?" I smirk even though she can't see me.

"Oh please, I am perfectly capable of walking five minutes to your place," she tries to bargain with me.

"How about I walk there and we walk back together?" I offer.

"That's out of your way. I'm coming," she says and I hear the clang of keys in the background.

"No, just wait inside please and I'll tell you when I'm outside," I plea and walk out the door.

"Oh my god, you are so annoying," she says and I laugh.

"I know. I'll be there as soon as I can."

I'm just worried that someone will find her since Carlos and Richard saw her. Plus it's almost dark and it's not safe in a bustling city like this.

And all of my worries are confirmed when a feel a cold hand grabs my shoulder and I am pulled into the nearest alley.

I struggle to get out of their grip and know I'm fucked when I see David waiting in the dark depths of the barren alley.

**A/N:**** Sorry for cliffhanger. Also just wanted to say that Arnold's last name is Kane in this story. Idk I always try to make it different in every story lol. Enjoy your day!**


	5. Chapter 5

Their grip on me is tight as I struggle to get out of their hold. I figure that I should conserve my energy for now in case I need it for later.

"Bring him here, boys," David says to the two guys holding me. I am assuming it is Carlos and Richard.

We walk closer and the shine of light from the moon hits one sliver that they leave me in so David can have his eyes on me and my expression.

"What do you want, David?" I ask. I will not be afraid of these losers any longer.

"You lied to me, Kane. So I want something for your… misbehavior," he picks his words carefully.

"What?" I ask. Can he just get this shit over with?

He paces in his stupid spot and looks at the floor. His dark hair makes him almost invisible in this light.

"Remember the first year you joined? And you went in the liquor store to steal some alcohol," his chilly voice reminds me.

I swallow and respond. "Yes."

"You have always had those sticky fingers, haven't you?" he chuckles. His stupid mole by his lip turns up as his smile does.

I just look away. I'm not proud of the things I have done back then when I thought I was helping, but I was so wrong.

"So, look. We are willing to forget this all happened… for a price of course," he sneers.

"What do you want?" This shit is so stupid.

He takes a moment before he replies.

"You have heard of Ricky's Gardening company, right?" David asks me.

"Yeah… what about it?"

"You see, we are having a shipment coming into headquarters of their products."

"Headquarters? You mean your old, worn down house where you cook meth?" I scoff.

He stares at me with his evil eyes and I stare at him back.

I feel Richard grab both of my arms to face me to Carlos who punches me square in the stomach. I would double over if Richard wasn't holding my arms.

"Ugh," I exhale.

"Watch your mouth, Arnold. You aren't invincible. Anyway, we made an order for two leaf blowers and a lawnmower. And you know what are stocked inside of them?"

"What," I spit, still hunched over catching my breath.

"The ingredients we need to cook said meth. The shipment is arriving at the docks tonight at nine o'clock sharp."

"And…" I hope Helga hasn't gone looking for me because it would be bad for both of us if she found me like this.

"And you're going to pick it up and bring it to my house. I trust you remember where it is, right?"

"And why would I do that?" I challenge him. I know for damn sure I can win a fight with him one on one, but I'm not as sure with Carlos and Richard here.

"Consider it a trade-off. You bring us our shipment, we let you go. Easy," he says and claps his hands together.

If I do what he says, I know he won't touch me. If I do what he says, I will lose everything I have been working for these past five years: my dignity, strength, and willingness.

If I don't, I will fight. I can do that.

"I'm not going to do it," I announce.

"Sorry?" David asks.

"I'm not doing it. Find someone else," I say.

"Well, I'm sorry you won't comply. I thought I made you a great offer," he says and shakes his head.

"You can't win people over with offers and install fear in them because you think you can. Let's settle this. One on one, me versus you," I offer him and he only laughs.

"You think I want to fight you? A strong man in his twenties against a man in his late forties? No, I don't think so. But if a fight is what you're looking for, I'm sure when Williams visits us in a few weeks, he'd love to give you a fight."

"Williams? You mean Carter? He is coming here?" Carter is the toughest guy from the group until he left to go in the military or something. Maybe it was the air force, I never paid attention. I was just glad when he left because that guy can be intimidating.

"Yes, he is. Is that a problem?" David asks.

"Yeah, it's a problem. You just use people to do the dirty work for you while you sit in your big chair and order them around. You can't do that."

"Oh, but I can. So it's your choice, Arnold. Either do this small task for me now, or live in fear for the next week while Carter goes looking for you," David says and gives a mean chuckle.

"What the hell is going on?" I hear a voice say from behind us.

Shit. Shit shit shit.

I hope I am dreaming when I see Helga's figure walking towards us in the dark alley, but I know that I'm not. She looks at me and I try to give her the expression in my face to get the hell out of here and don't talk to me.

"Hey, just let him go," she says. I would think it's cute how she believes they'll let me go by asking, but not right now.

"And who are you?" David asks and walks towards her. I swear, if any of them touch her…

She glances at me before looking back to David and I pray that she saw the look in my eyes that told her not to give away anything.

"What's it to you? Just leave the poor guy alone," she says and waves her hand at me.

He stands right in front of her and circles her, like she is the next competitor in a beauty pageant and he has to make sure everything is in order.

"Why? He means something to you?" he says close in her face.

Her wide eyes look to me once more and I slightly shake my head no.

"Yeah, he does. So let him go," she says and her fist ball up at her sides. This is what I meant when I said I don't want anyone else getting hurt by this and now it's even more complicated that she is in it now.

"Can't do that, sweetheart. You see, we are in the middle of a _very _important business deal, and you are kind of messing this up. I don't want to have to do this but-" is the only thing he says before Helga decks him in the face.

Shit.

"You bitch!" David says as he holds his face. David isn't a fighter, he is just a talker.

I feel Carlos and Richard let go of their grip on me to go after Helga, which is when I take this opportunity to break free.

As Carlos tries to go after Helga, I kick his back in so he goes stumbling on the ground. Helga hits Richard, and we both belt it out of that damn alley.

I grab her hand as we run across the street, causing some honks but that is the least of our problems right now. I hear complaints from the people we are weaving in and out of as we finally turn a corner and are out of site.

"Are you… okay?" I ask as I struggle to catch my breath, once again.

"I'm fine. How are you?" she asks. She isn't showing a trace of any tiredness.

"I just got punched in the stomach once, but I'm fine." Before I finish my sentence, she is already lifting up my shirt to look at it.

"It looks like your ribs are definitely going to be bruised, but nothing too serious," she says as her fingertips graze my torso. An elderly lady gives us a skeptical look and I pull my shirt back down.

"I'm so sorry about that. I knew I shouldn't have…" I start. I can't look at her right now. This is exactly why I can't get close to people. They somehow get involved and another person is in danger.

"It's all right, Arnold. It's over now. Let's just go back and-"

"Helga, look," I say and sigh. I didn't think I would have to do this, but it seems like my only option now. She looks at me with big, curious eyes and I take her hand in mine.

"You are… a great, strong girl. It must be fate how we met up, really, after all these years. And I am so thankful that you found me in the alley, because who knows what would have happened to me then. But we shouldn't do this." Her eyes narrow at me. "I'm sorry, Helga. I like you a lot. That's why I'm doing this. It's for the best of us…" I say. It hurts me, it really does, but I'm trying to look forward in the future. If Helga got hurt in this mess, I don't know how I could handle that.

"We just started out. How do you know this won't work," she says in a mad tone.

"I'm not saying it won't work. I'm saying it's too dangerous for you now. I'm sorry."

"It's too dangerous?" she laughs. "I just came back from four years or being in the damn army, and you think this meth dealer and his stupid bodyguards are too dangerous? Please, Arnold. We have both been through shit, but this is child's play compared to everything I've seen, everything I've done. I can help you," she practically yells at me.

I can't. I can't do this.

"I'm sorry, Helga. I can't drag any more people down with me. I can't hurt more people," I tell her.

She takes a look at me, snatches her hand back, and walks in the other direction without saying another word.


	6. Chapter 6

**Arnold POV**

I feel more empty as I walk back home. The worst feeling of all of this is that now Helga is involved and they are going to go looking after her. I pray that she stays safe and out of harm's way.

**Helga POV**

Stupid Arnold. Stupid, stupid Arnold.

He thinks he knows everything, but in reality, he knows nothing.

I heard everything they said. I heard him say about the shipment, about his offer, and about Carter.

I can't believe that Carter was, or is, associated with them. He was the biggest guy in our station, so I can see how they would use him as a threat towards Arnold.

I am still fuming for Arnold suggesting that we stop talking. I swear he is such an idiot. This isn't the kind of thing that one can do alone, no matter who you are. One thing I learned from the army is that you need people to survive and execute your plans.

Idiot.

Even though Arnold is pissing me off, I still find myself walking towards the docks. No matter what he says, he needs my help. He's lucky I love… like… love him. I can't deny my feelings for him in the past and that they haven't altered since elementary school.

It's eight thirty right now and it is still a fifteen minute walk to the docks. I don't know where they need to be delivered to, but I'm hoping the people there will be able to tell me where it needs to go to.

What if they don't know? What if this is a trap? I guess I can just go to see what will happen. My anxiety rises as the unknown creeps its way into my mind. It's getting colder as I get closer to the water and I regret not taking a jacket with me. Why did stupid Arnold have to walk over and be a gentleman?

My anger is rising thinking about him again, so I try to get my mind off of him and focus on my task at hand.

I arrive at the docks and it's eight fifty now. I wait close by, but not in view of the docks. Ten minutes pass and I see a boat pull up to the nearest dock with "Ricky's Gardening" painted on the side.

A worker hops out while another hands him three boxes, one after another. That must be the lawnmower and two leaf blowers.

As I start to head out into the open, I hear a conversation going on that stops me in my tracks.

"So is he coming or not?" a familiar voice says. I don't hear a response so I suppose he is talking on the phone.

"You said he would be here… I'm not bringing it…. That's your fault," he says and hangs up.

I reveal myself from the safe haven of the bushes and approach him from the side as he walks away from the dock.

"Gerald," I say. I see his eyebrow raise before he turns to face me.

"What do you want?" he says. I don't think he recognizes me due to the dark sky.

"It's me. Helga," I tell him.

His eyes widen as he takes in my appearance for the second time.

"Oh…. Hey. What's up?" he says.

"Um," I'm not sure what I should say. There is so much to say yet so little.

"How… have you been?" I ask. I need to tread lightly here.

"I'm fine. What about you?"

"Good, just returned back to town. Hey, I was wondering, have you seen Arnold lately? I miss teasing the football head," I only half-lie.

"Na, he left Hillwood about five years ago. Haven't talked to him since." He mutters something under his breath that sounds like "sissy."

"Oh that's surprising since you guys were best friends," I say and his phone beeps in his hand.

"Yeah well not anymore," he says and looks at his message.

"Where are you headed to?" I ask.

"To a friend's house. Going home?" he asks.

"Yeah. I'm going that way too," I say and we both start walking.

It's kind of uncomfortable as we make our way back into the city.

"What were you doing out here anyway?" Gerald asks me.

"Just going for a walk. I like to watch the water," I say which is true even though I didn't come here tonight for that reason.

"What about you? What brought you here tonight?" I ask when he doesn't respond.

"Just some business stuff but I just found out that I came here for nothing."

"Oh. What do you do?"

He takes a moment before he responds. "Nothing big. I sell products on my free time."

That doesn't help me with anything.

"Well I gotta turn on this street. Maybe I'll see you around," he says as he shifts to the right.

"Oh okay. See ya," I say as I continue forward.

Now I have two options.

One: I can go home and sulk over what is really going on and worry about Arnold's safety, or two: follow Gerald and find out what is going on myself. Now is a better time than ever since who knows when I will have a hint to where the house is.

I go with option two.

**Arnold POV**

I feel more empty than ever after returning to my barren apartment since I had the chance to fill with love and life, but drove it away.

What if I did go down to the docks? I know for sure someone would be waiting for me. There is no way David would let me go that easy. Or I could just go to his house and cut to the chase without wasting a trip.

Maybe I should just stay home since I got in enough trouble tonight and I can still feel my ribs throbbing. Well, sometimes you just have to go for it, despite the things that tempt you to hold back.

I hurry out of this apartment, rush down the stairs, and welcome the cool air that settles on my cheeks. I think his place is only a few minutes away. I don't remember fully but I'm sure walking around will help jog my memory even though it is already dark. The time on my phone reads nine fifteen so it is already past when his shipment came here.

I walk down the roads as they become more familiar to me and now I remember where I am going.

I get closer to the house and see a figure enter it. A dark figure. I am almost certain that is Gerald. My anger rises as I stay back and figure out what to do next.

Going inside doesn't benefit me at all. There will just be more fighting. I can't even remember my justification for coming here in the first place.

My mind freezes as I see a smaller frame approach the house. It's a girl… with long hair… that can't be her. But who else is crazy enough to go to a meth dealer's house? I see her try to creep around the back and I jog over to get to her as fast as I can without making too much noise.

I get closer and notice her blonde hair.

"Helga," I yell whisper.

She looks frightened as she turns around, but her features soften when she realizes it is me.

"What the hell are you doing?" I whisper. The worst thing would be if they heard us right now and came outside.

"I just… I… I don't know," she admits. Her frustrated frown grows as I make my way towards her.

"Let's get out of here. Come on we'll talk about it somewhere else," I say and grab her hand.

"No," she says and snatches her hand back.

"Helga, come on. Not here," I comply with her.

"You're the one who said we shouldn't hang out, so just leave," she says with her signature sass.

"We shouldn't hang out because this is the reason," I say and wave my hand toward the house.

"Just leave me alone. I can take care of myself," she says and turns away from me.

"Helga, please. I am begging you. I don't want you to get hurt," I say. Our whispering is making it hard to express how this is truly frustrating to me.

"You hurt me more when you turned me away," she admits to me.

I take a second before I respond but she uses it to add in.

"I can help you. I know Carter," she says.

"Really? Carter Williams?" I ask astonished. "How?"

"We were on the same base. He is one of my good friends."

Oh, that all makes a lot of sense. I could see Helga befriending someone like that since she is fearless anyway, despite his large composure.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier. We could try again?" I really didn't want to hurt Helga and now I see that she isn't all that helpless in this situation.

"Why, because you found out I'm friends with a person you're scared of? That really messed up, Arnold."

"No, Helga. I told you before I really like you. I'm sorry I didn't see how equipped you really are to handle this all. Please. I want to find out more about your life as well and all of your army stories. Everything, I want to hear it all. I want you to take me under."

I see my speech has made something in her head turn as she stares at me before looking off into space.

"O… okay," she agrees and walks towards me. I capture her in my arms before we get as far away from this house as possible.

**A/N:**** Sorry this took me longer than usual. I haven't been feeling well and tore a muscle in my elbow. Lol I'm okay though. Have a good weekend :)**


	7. Chapter 7

"Don't go anywhere near them again," I tell her as we enter my apartment. I flick the lights on and step into the front room.

She scoffs. "Whatever, Football Head."

"I mean it. You didn't accomplish anything by going there and they are nothing but trouble. Just stay away," I say firmly.

She rolls her eyes and walks away from me to sit on the hunter green couch.

I sigh and join her on the couch. "It's because I care about you," I say and tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't be able to cope if you got hurt because of me," I say honestly and lean into her further.

It feels so good to finally have someone here. I haven't had a girlfriend since the beginning of high school, and that was all innocent stuff. Nothing like being a grown up where we can each hang out at each other's own places and have the freedom of going out whenever without needing a ride from someone.

She leans her shoulder into me and I wrap my arm around her.

"Want to stay here tonight?" I ask and pull her legs on my lap.

"I guess. Do you have an extra toothbrush?" she asks and looks up at me.

"Of course. And extra clothes you can sleep in."

"Fine. Let's watch some TV though," she says and grabs the remote from the table and settles back in my hold.

She falls asleep in my arms while we watch Cast Away.

I lift her gently into my bedroom and place her on the bed. I'm not sure if I should dress her in more comfortable clothes or just leave her. She is wearing shorts which won't be hard to get off and she is already wearing a t-shirt so I can leave her shirt.

I feel uncomfortable as my hands reach for the button of her jean shorts, but I do so slowly and carefully not to wake her up. I pull the zipper down with my lightly trembling hands fearful she will wake up. Who knows how she will react if she catches me like this.

I slip her shorts down carefully, and once they are over her knee caps, they come off easy and pull them off from around her ankles.

She stirs some in her sleep and rolls over to lay on her stomach. Oh god, she is wearing a thong. I can't help myself from staring at the lighter skin on her ass. It's so… so perfect with her marks and all.

I remember my task and mentally smack myself for spending so much time looking at her. I grab gym shorts from my drawer and place them on her carefully. I put on a pair myself and join her on the bed.

….

I wake up feeling hotter than usual and realize it is because of Helga sprawled across my torso. I think she feels me wake up because she lifts her head to rest her chin on my chest with her eyes still closed.

"Good morning," I say and stroke her soft hair.

"Morning," she groans and rolls herself off of me.

The lighting in the room tells me that it isn't super early and I anxiously check my phone for the time.

"Holy shit," I say and jump out of bed.

"What?" she questions.

"It's eleven and I have to be at the gym at ten," I say as I scramble to put on a new shirt and run my hands through my hair.

"Will your coach still be there?" she asks and lifts herself up out of bed.

"I don't know but I have to go in case he is. I have a missed call from him. Shit," I say and put my wallet and keys in my bag.

"I'm sorry to rush out like this. You can help yourself to whatever in the kitchen or you can leave and do whatever you need to but I really have to go. There's an extra key in the Spiderman cup in the cupboard so please lock it if you leave," I say hurriedly.

"Okay, okay, damn just leave already," she laughs and pushes me to the entrance of the door.

"I'll be back later," I say and lean down to kiss her swiftly.

"Just go," she says and pushes my chest out the door.

I literally sprint all the way to the gym only to find that my coach is gone. He doesn't answer my call so I train by myself doing extra sets of pushups and punches to make up for it. Being late for practice is one of the worst feelings.

The next time I check the clock, three hours have flown by. I take out my towel to wipe myself down as I sit on the bench shirtless.

"Damn," someone says and I lift my head up. It's Helga.

"Have you seen someone named Arnold around here? I'm trying to look for him," she teases and I grab her thighs to make her sit on my lap.

"He's right here, dummy," I say and she wraps her arms around my neck.

"So, would you like to explain to me how I fell asleep wearing jeans and woke up wearing your shorts?" she raises an eyebrow at me.

"I didn't want you to be uncomfortable in those shorts," I say.

"Yeah, it better have been a quick task, Football Head," she says and the image of her bum rests in my mind again.

"It's not like I haven't seen it before," I tease her and she smacks my shoulder.

"You're gross," she says and gets up from my lap and I laugh.

"I'm kidding. Did it take you this long to finally get out of bed?"

"No, I had to do something else," she says and clears her throat. "Are you doing anything tonight?" she asks.

"Nope, why?"

"We should go to the club. I've been feeling like it all week," she says and crosses her arms.

"The club? I didn't know you were into that."

"I'm into anything," she says and smirks.

"Well, all right then. I haven't been to the club in so long," I admit. Now that I think about it, it's been over two years. The one time I went with Arnie didn't leave me with a great memory of clubbing, but I'm sure with Helga it will be different. Now my mind is clouded with images of Helga in a tight dress.

"So, I'll meet you tonight then?" she asks and I stand up from the bench.

"Sure. Just text me when you're ready," I say and kiss her before leaving the gym.

…

It's eight now and she finally texts me to pick her up in thirty minutes. I take this time to change into something decent and comb my hair so it isn't so messy. I just wear blue jeans and a light blue button up.

I wonder how it will be to go with Helga to the club since we are… dating. Won't guys try to hit on her and buy her drinks? At least that's the perception of how a club really is. I don't know how I would feel if I saw another guy on her. We just started this and this is the first time I really thought about being with her romantically. Well it isn't the first time, but it is the first time that counts.

Finally, the time goes by and I am waiting outside of her building. My eyes widen as I see her in a short dress. And it's tight. And strapless. And black. I try to dart my eyes to the floor but they quickly go back to her face. Her smile brightens and I take her hand.

"You look great," I compliment and try my best not to stare at her.

"So do you," she laughs. "It's only two blocks from here and I thought it was best to walk in case we drink too much and no one needs a DUI," she says and tightens her grip on my hand.

She is humming a song and I look over and see her smile that radiates a glow off her body with her crème skin and light hair that is curly now. I don't know how girls can have so many different appearances but I think I like that.

"What song is that?" I ask.

"A country song," she says and continues to hum.

"Country? I didn't know you liked that."

"Yeah well when you live with hundreds of redneck Americans for four years, it grows on you," she says and I laugh.

We arrive and there are a lot more people than I thought there would be on a Thursday night. I would have thought it would be most popular on Friday but I guess any night is good for people.

We show our IDs and I am already swarmed by the heat of dancing bodies as we enter the vicinity. Helga leads me to the corner of the bar and orders drinks which I am thankful for because I have never been much of a drinker myself so I don't know the specific brands and what's good and what isn't.

The bar tender hands us two shot glasses fills them with a red liquor, probably Fireball. She downs it and I follow her suit. Oh god, the burning in my throat reminds me that I haven't drank in forever.

She turns around and looks out in the crowd. There is a band playing but it is hard to tell who or what they are playing since it is so loud and the lighting is minimal.

One of the band members, which looks like the lead singer, grabs the microphone and speaks.

"What's up everyone. I'm Sid, and we are Trigger Youth!" he says and everyone cheers them on.

Helga and I look at each other in the same moment and both break out into laughter.

"Is that really Sid?" I say and look at the other band members.

"Yeah, and Harold, and Curly, and Stinky," she says as she picks them out as well.

"I didn't know they were in a band. That's hilarious," I say and tell the bartender to give us another round.

"Wow," she smirks to herself but I heard her.

"Wow, what?" I question.

"Nothing," she laughs and takes another shot as I do.

Their music isn't terrible but it's not good and I laugh at the fact as I sit back on the barstool. I'm not a dancer either but I sure as hell would love to watch Helga. Well I would dance with her if I could, but I don't know how.

As if she could read my thoughts, her hips start moving as she stands in between my legs. I move one hand to her hip and then the other as she continues.

This is… different than anything I have ever experienced before and I like it.

"Keep going," I coax her.

"You sure?" she laughs.

"Fuck," I say as she goes slow and achingly.

She reaches up to thread her small fingers through my hair and puts her other hand on mine.

"You are so sexy right now," I say in her ear.

She just dances along to the song and I tighten my grip on her.

"Closer," I almost beg her. I like when Helga drinks.

She backs up closer into me and I know she can feel the effect she has on me as she smiles.

The song ends too quickly and she turns around to grab my hand and lift me off the barstool.

"Let's go dance," she says and laughs like she is a little girl.

"I don't know how to dance," I admit as we enter the sea of bodies.

"No one does," she says and puts her arms around my neck and dances on me. I try to keep up with her tempo. Soon we are in the same rhythm and this is truly something hot and mystical that is growing on me.

She turns around and I instinctively reach for her hips as she moves her ass against my crotch. The lighting, the music, the number of people around us all makes this feel like a dream and makes me intoxicated. It's not even the two shots, it's everything. It's this club, this band, this girl. Holy shit I am above the clouds.

I grab her hands that are in the air and lace my fingers through hers and dip my head to lightly nip at her neck. She rolls her head back on my shoulder and I take this opportunity to stare at her chest and the way they move when she does.

We dance for what seems like hours before we both stumble out of the crowd of sweating people. I don't think I have laughed this hard in my life, but she makes me feel a way I haven't before. Is this what they say love is? Oh god, we have been seeing each other for four days and I am already thinking about love.

"That was so fun!" she giggles as we leave the club and I embrace the cold air that makes me feel so much better after all of that dancing.

"It was," I say and grab her hand as she stumbles around the sidewalk.

"You… are a great dancer," she says and laughs more. I know we aren't drunk from the liquor but it is from everything, from life.

"I learned from you, baby," I say and kiss her temple.

Her smile shows me that she likes my name for her and we laugh at almost everything on the way home.

"Come inside," she says and gives me her best flirtatious smile as we stand outside her building.

Before I respond, she grabs my collar and brings me in to kiss her. I move my arms around her waist and kiss her back.

She unlocks our lips and I am nodding my head yes. Power is corrupt, so I am giving her all of my absolute power to corrupt me absolutely.


	8. Chapter 8

**Helga POV**

I struggle to get my keys out and place it in the correct way as my adrenaline pulses throughout my body. I want Arnold, need Arnold, right now and this door needs to do its job and open.

Once it does, I immediately drag him in and push him up against the closed door. I grab the collar of his shirt to bring his tall figure down to mine so I can reach his lips. His mouth immediately opens and our tongues collide with each other's.

His hand moves to my cheek and it makes the skin on the back of my neck tingle. I tangle my fingers in his hair and pull at the soft strands and he tightens his grip on my waist. I groan when his tongue glides along my bottom lip. I feel feverish and almost like I am shaking from his touch.

Dancing at the club with him was riveting and indulging. I have danced with strangers before, but it's nothing like dancing with someone you love… like. I'm trying not to jump into those serious feelings just yet because I don't want to go too fast and scare him away. I feel almost as if I am deceiving him for keeping it a secret, but it's for the best. I know it is.

I pull him into the bedroom as quickly as I can and stop kissing him to get this damn dress off. I struggle to unzip the back and Arnold smiles at me.

"I'll get that," he says and turns me around to unzip it slowly in a torturous way for my crazy hormones right now. I feel his fingertips gently graze my back and it gives me a whole different feeling toward him now. Now I want to be slow and bask in his embrace, but at the same time, I know what I need and want.

The dress spills to the floor and I unbutton his shirt to reveal his toned torso. He pushes me lightly back on the bed and climbs on it after me. I crawl back to the headboard and he follows me back. His mouth is hot against mine and I welcome it. He has his hands on the bare skin of my curves as mine rest on his shoulders.

He moves his mouth down to kiss, bite, and soothe my neck. Even though it feels heavenly, I am in a rush to feel him against me so I unbutton his tight pants and pull them down halfway before he gets the damn thing off himself and I can't look away from his incredible bulge that is prominent from his tight boxers.

"Do you have condoms here?" he asks and looks at me.

"I take the shot, we're fine," I assure him and bring him back to me once more. We didn't use a condom last time, so was he just assuming I am on the control?

My thoughts vanish as our mouths meet again and he pushes my thong to the side to press his finger in me, but that isn't enough.

"Please, Arnold," I almost beg him. He takes all my strength from me. He is my one soft spot.

"What do you want?" he says lowly in my ear.

My mouth is suddenly dry and my stomach goes to a whole other level that is beyond butterflies.

"Y-you. I want you," I stammer. I feel like the biggest fool but he makes me one.

He kisses me once more and takes off my garment before he removes his own. He slowly enters me and I feel a wave of relief as I finally come to contact with him.

We take it slow, and it's aching and healing all at the same time. I just want to feel all of him for as long as I can before both of our highs take us down.

"Helga, you are… so sexy. So… beautiful," he says as he thrusts again. I admire the glint of sweat that gives his body a wondrous glow, even in the dim light.

I stay quiet with my words as he comes and falls on the bed next to me. Our breaths mix with each other and I feel an instant relaxation which was exactly what I wanted and needed from him.

He turns on his side to face me and I see his cute, little smile.

"You okay?" he asks me and wraps his arm around my stomach.

"Yes," I say and my hand instinctively goes to play with his fingertips. "Are you?"

"Of course. This is the best I have been in a long time," he replies and I wonder what he means by that but I don't choose to push it right now. Later though.

I don't remember much after that except for the sweet smell Arnold brings.

….

I wake up with more energy than I have the past week. I hear Arnold's light snoring and smile at it. I take this time to admire the pout in his lips when he sleeps, and how he still keeps a hold on my fingers even when he is unconscious.

I am already mush after seeing Arnold for less than a full week. I feel weak, vulnerable, and not just because I am laying naked in a bed. I feel like putting my wall back up… No. I can't be how I was when I was younger.

Arnold finally stirs and wakes up, lifting his head from my lap. He sees me and smiles, tightening his grip on my fingers.

"Good morning," I say.

"Good morning," he says in a raspy voice and lays his head back down.

"You make a hard pillow," he says and bounces his fingers up and down on my stomach to make his point.

"No I don't," I giggle and squirm some because that tickles.

"Are you ticklish?" he asks and gets up from his position and rubs his eyes. The immediate loss of contact has left me cold.

"No," I say and pull the comforter over me.

"You're ticklish," he says and reaches for my ribs under the comforter.

"Stop! I'm going to kick you!" I say through my laughing and follow through with my action.

"No you won't," he says and straddles my lap. We are both naked still.

"Oh," he says and awkwardly gets off. "Sorry."

I guess we are not that comfortable yet.

"It's fine, Arnold. It's not a big deal," I say. He sits to hang his feet off the bed with his back to me.

After moments of silence, he gets up and I try not to stare at him as I hear him go into the bathroom. I use this time to put on some clothes which only consist of sweats and an old t-shirt.

I go into the kitchen to make some coffee and wait for him to get out. He goes straight into the room to get some clothes, I guess, and I wait for him outside. I don't know why the energy has shifted to uncomfortable and quiet but I don't like it.

"It's okay if I wear something of yours?" he asks from the room.

"Yeah," I answer.

He comes out wearing some blue shirt that's too small on him and black basketball shorts. I almost laugh at the irony of the choice he selected but decide against telling him those were Carter's shorts.

"So, gym today?"

"Yeah, but Friday I don't have to go until one because Coach does something with his work on Friday mornings," Arnold explains and sits at the table.

"Oh, that's nice. Want some coffee?" I offer.

"No, thanks. I shouldn't drink caffeine," he says and now I feel like he is being the closed off one. It's not his words, it's just his body language. I feel like he doesn't want to be here.

"Well we have some hours to kill. Do you want to do anything?" I ask. I don't know why I feel like our roles have switches.

"I don't know, whatever you want is fine with me."

That couldn't be a more generic answer.

"All right, well I wanted to go to the thrift shop today anyway so you could come too?" I suggest.

"I didn't know you like the thrift shop," he says and finally smiles which relaxes me.

"You can get a lot of stuff there for cheap," I say and smirk at him. "But I have to take a shower first," I say and put my mug in the sink and head over to the bathroom. It already smells like Arnold in here and he only used it for a minute or so.

I run the water and don't step in until it is hot. The water feels so nice against my skin and I am still not used to having such great plumbing.

I hear the bathroom door open and my first instinct is to panic before I realize it's him.

"Mind if I join? To save water and all that," he winks at me and pulls back the curtain half-way so he can step in. I guess I was just overreacting in my thoughts that Arnold was shut off.

I am completely silent as he reaches behind me for my shampoo and squirts some in his hand and puts the bottle back.

"May I?" he asks and gestures to washing my hair.

I stay silent again as I turn around and let him put the shampoo in my hair. It's odd but… soothing. Calming.

"You can tell me if you like it, you know," he says in my ear then gives it a kiss.

I just laugh and say, "Shut up," as he continues to work his fingers through my scalp.

"Now do I have to wash your hair?" I joke when we rinse out the rest of the soap which I mainly had to do.

"No, I don't need a shower," he winks at me and turns the water off. I just look at him as he steps out and grabs a towel from the hook. He opens it wide and beckons me to walk in it. I do and he wraps the towel around me and his gesture is more warm than this towel.

It takes us thirty minutes to get ready after that from Arnold constantly teasing me about how my butt wouldn't fit in my jeans. It's not my fault it decided to be round.

We walk all the way to the store, talking about the most random things. He asks me about the army, about what I really want to do, about what my family is doing.

"They moved after I was stationed in Japan. Somewhere else in New York. It's only forty minutes away but I only went there last week to get the remainder of my stuff before I moved back here. I wasn't ready to let go of Hillwood yet," I tell him.

"That's nice, Helga. Do they support your service?" he asks.

"Yeah, they were proud. Well they looked like it even if they didn't say it but that is just how they show their emotions."

"How about your sister? Olga, right?" he asks. Wow, good memory.

"Yeah, she is okay. I think she has a job somewhere below in the state. Oh she is married now and has two kids so that is good for her," I say. I have only met her kids once, right before I got shipped off. They are loud and rambunctious.

We finally get to the store and have a nice time looking around. I love the little trinkets that they put out because they are so unique and you can't really find them anywhere else.

I make Arnold try on some funny hats and I laugh when he tries on a sarong.

We are having a great time when suddenly, he looks behind me and something makes his face drop from its laughing state.

"Can we look at another store?" he asks before I can turn around and he grabs my forearm and almost drags me out of the store.

I turn around just before we exit to see an old man. Arnold's grandpa?

**A/N:**** Ugh I don't like writing lemons but people seem to want that so ok.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:**** So sorry it took me such a long time to update. I'll explain at the end. Love you guys.**

Arnold stomps down the sidewalk and I almost have to run to keep up with him.

"What the hell was that?" I ask and try to grab his hand but he recoils it back.

"Nothing. Let's just go," he says with a furious tone.

"Arnold…" I say and easily keep up with his pace. He really isn't the fastest on foot.

"Please, Helga. No," he rejects me and keeps his gaze forward.

"We can go back and talk about it if you want," I suggest. I don't like how he is taking his anger out on me.

"That okay. I have to go soon anyway," he says and checks the time on his phone. He still has an hour and a half until his practice, but maybe it is best he gets time to himself. I want to tell him I am here for him and I want to help him, but the words are stuck in my throat and on the surface of my mind as he walks away and I stand alone on the sidewalk.

**Arnold POV**

I should have talked to him. I just didn't have the guts to stay long enough to let him see me. Maybe he did when I was walking out? I'll never know now. Well maybe. He is probably still in there.

I feel like a dick for just leaving Helga, but I have to think about this alone or go confront him alone. I will tell her later, but I need to fix this. Who knows when I will run into him another time? They still aren't answering my calls.

I make a lap around the block instead of going straight back because I don't want to have to run into Helga if she is still there. I know it's rude, but I will explain to her later.

I lightly jog around the buildings to go back to the store until I am standing in front of it. My stomach is in knots and my heart is beating hard against my chest. I take a deep breath before I open the door and it takes me thirty seconds of walking around to realize that he has left the store.

**Helga POV**

I thought about following after Arnold and by the time I found him, he was already in front of the store, about to walk in. I figured that he would go in there and confront his grandpa.

I don't know how he will react if I wait outside for him. Everything is so confusing for me. I don't want to hold on too tight, because that will drive him away, but what if he does need me, or someone at least?

I battle back and forth in my head for about thirty seconds before I leave the block. I need to work this out of my head. I will go to the gym now and hopefully be done before Arnold gets there because I'm not sure how I will react to seeing him now.

….

The worst feeling is believing that you have the tools to fix something, but you are allowed to help even though you have the power to make it better.

I keep thinking that over and over as I turn the level up on the treadmill. The sweat is dripping off me and landing on the machine, but I want to go faster. The girl jogging lightly next to me gives an obvious, ignorant look and starts walking for a minute before she gets off herself and leaves.

I don't know how long I have been running on this until I feel a presence come up from the side of me.

"Helga?" a familiar voice says and I am broken out of my focus.

I look and see a big physique with light skin and short, brown hair.

"Carter?" I say and turn the treadmill off. I thought he wouldn't be here for another week.

"How are you?" he smiles at me and reaches to give me a hug. If I act repelled to him, he will know something is up.

"Good," I say and ignore the sting in my chest that comes from thinking about Arnold. I hope he is okay. "I thought you weren't coming for another week?"

"So did I, but I heard about this boxing tournament that's happening in a couple months so I thought I would come here early to practice and get in shape," he explains.

I think he has gotten more tattoos since I have seen him. There is a rose on his right elbow that I hadn't noticed before and also a thick skull on the same arm but on the bicep part. They seem contradictory but maybe that's the point.

"Oh my… uh, my friend is in that tournament too, I think," I stammer. I shouldn't tell him I am dating anybody, especially since it's Arnold.

"Yeah? Maybe me and him could practice together if he's okay with that," he suggests with no glint of suspicion in his eyes.

"Um, I'll talk to him," I lie.

"Great! Well I better go. We'll hang out some time this week, okay Helgs?" he says and hugs me once more.

"Okay, good luck," I say and watch him head into the multi-purpose room.

I search in my bag for my phone, but it's already ringing when I find and grab it.

"Hello? Arnold?" I answer it.

"Helga, where are you?" he asks. He doesn't seem rushed or worried, just asking.

"I'm at the gym. Where are you?" I ask. I grab my stuff and head into the locker room.

"At my place but I'm heading there now. Are you busy afterward?" he asks.

"No, I didn't have anything planned, why?" I ask hoping for an explanation for his behavior. I set my bag down on the bench inside and take a seat while stretching my legs.

"Would you like to come over tonight? I'm cooking and we can just hang out after," he offers.

"Of course," I answer too simply. I should put up more of a fight and demand an explanation, but for now I am just grateful that he is talking to me again. I really am a basket case.

"Okay, that sounds good. I'm heading over now so I'll see you in a little."

"Oh, um, actually, I ran into someone here…" I start off.

"Who?" he asks and I hear the door shut behind him.

"Carter… and he said he's signing up for a boxing tournament so it's probably the same one as yours," I tell him.

"Are you… shit," he says and I can picture him running his hand through his hair.

"He is still here so be careful about running into him," I warn.

"Great…"

"Did you talk to him?" I ask. I can't hold it in any longer.

"Who? Carter?"

"No. Your grandpa," I elaborate.

"Oh… no. I wanted to, but it was too late he was gone. I wanted to explain that to you tonight," he says and I mentally relieve.

"Oh, okay," I say and try to act calm. "You're okay now though?" I clarify.

"Yes. I just can't wait to practice to get this out."

"I know. I think I ran on the treadmill for like an hour," I laugh and I hear him snicker and he doesn't say anything for a few seconds.

"Helloooo," I joke.

"Sorry, sorry," he laughs. "I was just thinking about something," he says and chuckles again.

"About what?"

"Nothing," he says and laughs again.

"Tell me, Football Head," I demand and bring my other leg up to stretch.

"Well…" he starts off. "Remember that one time you fell asleep on my couch and then spent the night?"

"Yeah…." What's he getting at?

"Well, I had to change your shorts because you were wearing denim and I imagined how uncomfortable that would be," he says and I feel my cheeks redden. I realized he had changed them when I woke up but it's not fun to hear about it.

"So, long story short, I took them off and when I was going to place my gym ones on you, you turned around to lie on your stomach and you were kind of wearing a thong so I saw your… ass," he says.

"Oh…" I didn't know he saw that. "So why was that so funny?" I snap back even though I'm not really mad, just defensive.

"It wasn't funny. When you said you were running I was picturing your butt moving and then I remember that I actually saw it," he laughs again and a smile involuntarily forms on my face.

"You're dumb," I shake my head.

"I know. I'm here now," he informs me.

"I'm in the bathroom."

"Well come out and give me a kiss before I storm in there myself," he jokes and my stomach warms.

"I would actually like to see that," I joke back at him. I know I shouldn't have all of these uncertainty thoughts with Arnold, but I can't help it. I want to keep him more than anything, but these small acts of caring and openness from him give me that reassurance.

Before I can think of anything else, Arnold is busting in the locker room with open arms, throws me over his shoulder, and carries me outside despite my pleas to let me down.

**A/N:**** Again, I am so sorry about this late update. I have been busy recently going in and out of hospitals… I've been talking to a lot of people lately after attempting a suicide. I am better now but updating the chapters are harder for me because of lack of motivation to do anything really but I am going to try my best. I owe it to all of you to finish this, and I will. I'm so sorry, again. I love you guys.**


	10. Chapter 10

"He went in the multi-purpose room," I tell Arnold as he finally puts me down.

"What did he say to you? Besides he's going into the tournament," Arnold asks as we walk towards the door.

"Nothing really, just that he came here early to practice and he wants us to hang out," I say honestly.

Arnold scoffs. "Well you're not going to… right?" he looks at me.

"I don't know. I can't just blow him off or he'll wonder why and pry around. Besides, he doesn't even know that I know you so it's fine," I say.

Arnold is quiet for a moment and his fists clench at his sides. "I don't like the idea of you hanging out with him," he says slowly.

I look up at him but he keeps his gaze forward and even though he seems mad, it makes me happy. I am flattered that he doesn't want me hanging out with another guy, but really I know I'll be fine.

"You don't have to worry. He is strong but he is really a ditz when it comes to making a plan," I almost laugh. He is a phenomenal soldier, but only because he shut his brain off completely and only knows how to respond to commands.

"I guess. I just… I don't know. You are attractive to all of the male eye and I don't see how he could just see you as a friend," he says as we reach the door of the room.

So I guess Arnold is the jealous type, but he really shouldn't be.

"Either way, it doesn't matter. I only like you," I say and face him completely while grabbing both of his hands. He looks at me with sad eyes and I want to do everything in my power to bring happiness into them.

"I only want you," I continue. "You're all I want," I say and mean it. It feels like I can finally breathe whether he believes me or not.

He smiles and kisses my forehead. I didn't expect him to reciprocate the statement, but I just want him to know.

"I trust you. It's just him I don't. I know how guys are is all."

"It will be fine. Now don't be late for practice," I say and he hugs me tight goodbye.

…..

**Arnold POV**

I hold my breath as I enter the training room and my eyes immediately dart around until they find what they are searching for. They eventually land on the source: Carter. He is talking to my coach. Are they working together for the tournament? I don't know how I feel about Coach training both of us.

I approach the two men with intentions to dodge anything Carter says to me.

"Hey, Coach," I say, avoiding eye contact with the massive, ex-soldier next to me.

"Hello, Arnold. Ready for practice?" he asks.

"Yup," I say and set my bag down.

"Is this… Kane? Arnold Kane?" Carter asks and when I look at him he has a dumb smirk on his face.

"How have you been? I haven't seen you in forever," he says and brings me in for a one-armed hug.

"Yeah... it has been a while," I say. I don't think he has talked to David yet or else he would be acting more skeptical about when and where he will beat me up. Or maybe he did and he is just messing with me.

"You two know each other?" Coach says and looks back and forth between us.

"Yeah we used to be buddies before I got shipped off. It's great to see you," he says and gives me another hug. Helga is right, he really is a ditz.

"Well maybe you guys will draw in the tournament against each other," Coach says and I want to hit him for saying that.

"Yeah! That will be fun, wouldn't it Kane? Just like old times, practicing fighting," he gives a cheeky grin. Either he is a really good actor or really dumb.

"This gives me an idea… you two could spar in practice together. You will both benefit from it," Coach says and my stomach is clenching at the proposal.

"Yeah! We definitely should. Just let me know whenever, I am almost never busy," he laughs. "But I have to get home now. I'll see you two next week!" he says and leaves the room.

I don't know what to make of what just happened, and no matter how much I want to just ignore it, I know I can't because letting my guard down is the worst thing I can do now.

…..

After coming home, showering, cooking, and putting something nice on, I hear the knock on the door that I have been waiting for all afternoon.

Her beautiful figure appears in the doorway and I immediately notice something different about her, but I can't put my finger on it. It has something to do with her head… or maybe it's her face. I can't tell where, but something is different. Whatever it is, I like it.

"Good evening," I say stupidly and she laughs at me. She is wearing black jeans and a white tank top. It's simple but looks good on her.

"Is this the fifties? If so I think I may have knocked on the wrong door," she teases and I welcome her in my arms as I kick the door closed at the same time.

Her smell of vanilla radiates to my nose and I pull her over to the dining table.

"Well the wrong door wouldn't have prepared you a five-star meal," I say and sit her down at the candlelit table holding two dishes of a chicken fettuccini with bread and wine.

"Wow, this looks great. You really out-did yourself, Arnoldo," she smiles and I pull out her chair for her to sit down. I think I see her blush but it fades away quickly.

"Wine?" she questions and picks up the glass. "I think you assume me to have more class. I would much prefer a beer," she smiles.

"Oh, well um… I don't really carry beer," I admit. She gives a puzzling look. "Well I normally would but I'm trying not to drink so much. I have soda though if you want," I say and start to get up.

"That's okay. This will be fine, sorry," she apologizes and stops me from getting up.

There air gets a little thicker and I try to think quickly of what to say next.

"So I talked to Carter today after you left," I bring up and take a bite.

"Really? What'd he say? What happened?" she questions and I laugh.

"Nothing, really. Well he acted all friendly towards me which caught me off guard. And he wants to practice with me before the tournament or something which I won't be doing." I suppose he could benefit me by practicing with him, but one second we could be messing around and the next he could be breaking my neck.

"I just can't trust him since I don't know if he has talked to David or any of them. I know he's not that crafty, but who knows what he's up to," I continue.

"Yeah well maybe I can get something out of him if I see him," she offers.

"I was thinking about that. It's probably not a good idea since Carlos and Richard have both seen you at least twice around me so they know that you're associated with me now. They could tell him and what if he tries to hurt you for helping me," I argue.

Her chewing becomes slower and she looks to the side as if she is thinking. She swallows her bite and responds.

"I told you, he's not good at planning, he's just good at doing what he's told."

"So? What if they tell him to mug you? What will you do then, Helga?" I question. I don't want to fight but she's too stubborn.

"I can defend myself," she says and plays with the food on her plate.

"I know. I know you can, but this guy is too tough for both of us, okay? I just want you to be safe," I say and reach for her hand across the table. She reluctantly places her hand in mine but relaxes when I rub my thumb across the back.

"Okay," she exhales and I bring her hand up to kiss it.

"So you start working next week?" I ask to change the subject to a lighter topic.

"Yup. It will be good I guess. I can get more money and not have to work that hard," she says.

"That's always the goal, right?" I joke and she agrees.

We finish the dinner swiftly and easily and soon she is helping me clean the dishes. I wipe them down as she places them in the dishwasher.

Finally we are done, and she joins me on the couch. I move my arm around her and she settles into my embrace. Some cheesy movie is on TV so we watch it.

"What's this called?" she asks lazily. I think she is getting sleepy and I am too a little.

"Mmm, Crazy Stupid Love?" I answer when looking on the guide.

"Well I like it," she says and rests her head on my shoulder. I look down at her and still can't figure out what is different about her.

"Did you do something different?" I ask. She moves to look up at me by sitting up and she faces me by resting her legs on my lap.

"With what?" she asks.

"I don't know… you look different. I mean in a good way, but I can't figure out what it is," I admit and she smiles.

"Well, I curled my hair. You think that's it?" she asks and plays with her curls that are now apparent to me.

Wow, I can't believe it was that easy and I didn't notice.

"Oh, yeah that's it. I like when your hair is curled," I compliment and bring her closer to me to close the space between us. I am relieved when her lips touch mine and I savor the taste. I bring my hands into her hair and touch those curls I love as I move my lips on hers.

She stops too quickly and moves her fingers along my cheek while looking at my eyes.

"What?" I ask. I want to keep kissing but the goosebumps I get from her graze on my cheek almost feels better.

"Nothing. I just like looking at you," she says and her eyes widen after she releases her words. I don't think she meant to say that out loud but I'm glad she did.

"I do too. You're so pretty," I tell her and she smiles as I lean in to her again.

"So weren't you going to tell me about your grandpa?" she stops me and brings up what I have been avoiding all day.

I sigh and face the TV again to turn it off.

"Yeah, I just don't know where to start," I say and rub my face with my hands.

"Start from the beginning," she says and I do.

I start by telling her about the gang stuff again but with more details. I tell her when they initiated me by making me push over an old lady coming back from the grocery store and stealing all of her bags that was full of canned beans and cat food. I tell her about when they made me watch Gerald getting beat up for not complying about pushing the lady and taking her bags. I tell her about stealing liquor from the gas station just so they could sell it to some homeless people.

I tell her about when I learned how to pickpocket people and it became so easy to me. That's where I got all the extra cash. I tell her how we would trick them by one person asking for directions and I would grab the wallet from their bag while they were distracted.

I tell her about my own drinking habits. They were so bad to the point I couldn't go a night without drinking more than three bottles. I hated myself for doing all of those bad things even if it was for my family. I tell her how I became an alcoholic at sixteen.

Then I tell her about the worst thing we did that ended it all. We were waiting in some alley for the next person to come along to mug them and take whatever they had. I tell her how I heard Richard say that it was a geyser, which meant it would be easy. Well, the lady passed the alley and Richard immediately grabbed her and that was my cue to grab whatever she had. Of course I was surprised when it was my grandma.

"I tried to mug my own grandma…" I say and the pain is present in my chest, just as it is every time I think about it.

Helga doesn't say anything but puts her arm around me and gently rubs my back.

"Little did they know, she knows karate so she kicked all of their asses, naturally. She froze when she saw me though and I haven't talked to her since. She took off before I could say anything. When I went home later that night, my grandpa handed me the next ticket to Arnie's place. He didn't even give me a chance to explain. All he said was, 'Grab your things, and get out,'" I tell her and my heart stings.

I don't feel like talking anymore and I hope Helga honors that. She climbs on my lap and I wrap my arms around her and stuff my face in her neck. I'm embarrassed by my muffled sobs, but she talks soothingly in my ear until I fall asleep holding on to my anchor.

**A/N:**** I'm back and recovered :)**


	11. Chapter 11

I wake up to the warm sheets of my bed. My eyes are heavy, my throat dry, and suddenly the memories of last night are flowing back to me. I almost feel more relaxed, as though I have let go of a lot of tension, which I suppose I did.

I sit up in bed and rub the stained tears off my cheeks. I look around and everything looks the same. My pants and shirt have been removed. Did Helga leave last night? Or this morning? I completely knocked out last night.

I move the sheets off me with a lighter heart and bring my feet to the wooden floor. I hear something rustling in the other room and pad over to the closed door.

"Good…. morning," I say after gaping at Helga only wearing one of my big shirts and some black underwear that fits her great.

She turns her neck around to smirk back at me while she's trying to make a pot of coffee. Her hair is loosely curled now and it looks even better than it did last night.

"Good morning. Sorry if I woke you," she says and turns around again to mess with the pot.

"You didn't. Also I love waking up to this," I say and move to wrap my arms around her waist, pressing into her backside. Her smells like some fruity smell that I like.

"To what, exactly?" she asks even though I'm sure she knows.

"To this," I say and lift up the shirt some to grip her hips and feel her warm, soft skin. "You here in my kitchen, making coffee, wearing this…" I say and grab the elastic of her panties. I glide my finger slowly across and her warm skin that instantly becomes hot.

She nervously laughs and pushes my hands away. "It's too early for this," she smiles and turns to face me. "How are you feeling?" she asks and rests her palm on my cheek.

"I feel good. A lot better actually. Thank you for listening," I say honestly.

"I'm glad. I want you to be comfortable enough with me to feel like you can tell me anything," she says.

"I do. I trust you," I say and lean into her palm.

"Good. Now let's eat breakfast, I'm starving," she says and I smile as I watch her find her own way around the small kitchen.

…

The weekend goes by quickly with me seeing Helga for a little bit and the other parts included getting some alone time. I have a lot of thoughts about my grandparents and I hesitate wondering to call them or not.

Right now, I am sitting on my couch with my phone in my hand debating what I would say if they did pick up.

My phone ringing jump starts my heart and my eyes open wide searching for the source on the screen. It's a call from a number not saved in my phone.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Arnold, it's Carter!" his voice booms through the phone. I instantly cringe.

"Oh… hey," I reply.

"So I was talking to Coach and he says we should practice together for both of our benefits. What do you say?"

"Um… aren't we kind of on different levels? You're more trained than me," I say.

"But we'll be in the same tournament! It will be good for us," he says.

"What would you get out of it though? Since you're already better than me," I reason.

"We haven't hung out in a while so we can catch up! How's that sound?"

"Well what day are you thinking? I'm sort of busy during the weeks," I lie. I really don't do anything besides go to the gym and hang out with Helga and sulk at home. I should get a job or at least a hobby.

"Any time you have open! I'm cool with anything." He sounds genuine and I don't accuse him of being a bad guy. I just know what he is capable of when he gets in his mindset to destroy everything in his path.

"Okay well maybe if I see you tomorrow we can figure something out," I say. I don't think I am thinking but overthinking is stressful.

"Sounds cool! See you tomorrow," he says excitedly.

"Have a good night, Carter," I hang up.

I head over to the bedroom, send Helga a good night text, and go to sleep.

…

"I have good news!" Helga greets me early this morning. I just woke up and her pounding on the door earlier gave me a headache.

"What's that?" I ask and reach up in the cabinet to get her a coffee mug.

"Well last night the manager of the CD store called me to remind me to come in early today and he said since I worked as a waitress in high school, I'll already be getting paid more than minimum wage!" she says with a big smile on her face.

"Wow that's great. That will be easier," I say and pour her a mug.

"I know! Looks like that dumb job of serving annoying customers actually paid off," she says and I hand her the mug.

"I didn't know you were a waitress," I say and sit down with her at the table.

"We barely talked in high school," she reminds me.

"I know. So when do you have to be there?" She's wearing jeans and some old t-shirt which I don't think is her uniform.

"In like half an hour. It's not that far from here, only about three blocks over," she says and wraps her hands around the mug.

"Okay, maybe I can stop by after practice." I don't want to tell her about Carter's call since she is in such a good mood and I don't know how she would react to that news anyway.

"Okay but I don't want to talk for long. It is my first day," she says before she takes a sip.

"Is that what you're wearing to work?" I tease her and play with the sleeve of her blue t-shirt.

"No, Football Head. He said they'll give me a shirt to wear there and I can wear any pants I feel comfortable in."

"So, you don't have to wear this shirt," I say and lightly graze the skin underneath the sleeve.

"Well I will to walk over there," she says and pushes my hand from her arm but keeps it in her hand.

"This shirt is old, Helga. C'mon I'll give you a better one," I say and play with the tatters on the collar with my other hand.

"Your… your shirt won't fit me," she says. Her cheeks are lightly flushed and I can tell her throat is dry.

"Let's see if we can find one," I say and stand up from the table to pull her into my room. She's quiet but I want this. I feel like I haven't kissed her in forever.

She shuts the door behind us and I instantly grab her curves to push her back on the bed gently. My hot, starving mouth meets hers and it lights up my senses. I sneak my hands under her shirt to touch her hot skin and she tangles her fingers in my hair.

Her tongue glides along with mine and she lays back on the bed so I am hovering over her. I take the old shirt off as I said I would and have to take a peek at her chest. Looking at it only drives me more and I kiss her more forcefully.

"Arnold, I…" she starts to say but I cut her off.

She giggles lightly which is an incredible sound.

"I have to go soon," she says and stops me by holding me up by my chest.

"Five minutes," I say and lean towards her again but she gets up from the bed and puts on her shirt again.

"Five minutes will turn into an hour," she smirks and I watch her walk towards me. I open my lap and she sits on it.

"Maybe we can hang out after though. Tonight? We could watch a movie," she offers and I just shake my head yes.

"I'll see you then," she says and kisses me one last time before she gets up and heads off to work.

…

My sweat is dripping off on the locker room floor and I am trying to get my breathing down to normal. I wipe my forehead with my towel and take a sip of water and try to stretch out my legs.

"There you are!" I hear Carter's voice say and I turn around to see him in the flesh.

"Yup, I just finished with Coach," I say and stand up from the bench.

"I just saw him and he told me you guys finished so I hoped I could catch you before you left. So did you find out a day you could spar some time?" he asks. I don't know why I don't feel like he is trying to be sneaky or anything. I think he just genuinely wants to hear about how I have been doing.

"Um, tomorrow? What time is better for you?"

"That sounds great! I like to work out in the mornings if that's okay with you."

"Around what time?"

"How about we go at nine? Unless you're up for a six am workout," he chuckles.

"Nine sounds good," I laugh.

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow then," he says.

"See ya," I say and he exits the locker room.

Maybe I should get Helga's opinion on this? She knows him better than I do. I'll shower then go and see her at work.

**A/N:**** I apologize for taking so long. I'm going to get back on track now and update regularly. In other news, I just went to my first concert on Thursday and it was awesome! Have a good weekend!**


	12. Chapter 12

"Arnold," Helga greets me when she sees me walk in. The glow on her face lets me know she's having a good first day.

"Hey, babe," I say and walk over to hug her and kiss her forehead. "How's it going so far?"

"It's good. I'll adjust but it's not that hard of a job," she smiles.

"Well if it's not that hard, you're next position is CEO," some guy says from behind her. He's taller than me with those plugs that people wear and he's covered in tattoos. He has two sleeves and I can see some tattoos peeking out from the neck of his shirt. I try to not stare at his lip ring but it's distracting. His backwards hat covers his black hair and his face is a lighter tone, almost pale. I didn't know you could get a job looking like that nowadays.

"I could take it on," Helga jokes back. She would make friends with this guy.

"Oh, Arnold this is Jacob. Jacob this is Arnold," she introduces us.

"I told you, call me Jake," he smiles at her, then turns to face me. "But it's cool to meet you," he says and shakes my hand firmly. "Is this your brother or something?" he asks and I almost laugh.

"No, this is my," she coughs and blushes. "Um… Arnold and I are dating," she says and doesn't look at me. She doesn't want people to know we are together? Does she like Jake? My stomach is in a knot.

"Oh, that's cool! I'll keep an eye on her for you," he says and winks at me. He seems like an easy-going guy but who knows, I still don't know him.

"Well I just wanted to stop by. I'll see you tonight?" I ask her and she just nods and gives a small smile. I want to give her at least a hug but now I feel uncomfortable with Jake here. "It was nice meeting you," I say to Jake and he gives me a big smile.

"You too, man! See you around," he replies and I exit through the door.

Helga's reaction has my mind wondering for hours and I decide on taking a nap to maybe pass some time but my mind is thinking too much, so that doesn't work. Maybe I should just take a walk… That sounds good. I'll go to the park.

….

My thoughts swarmed around in my head the whole way over here and I try to focus on the ducks swimming around in the pond.

Someone walking through the entrance of the park catches my eye and I immediately recognize him. I get up from the bench and head the other way. There's no way I'm going to confront him today. I'm already in a bad mood and I don't feel like talking to anyone.

I'm walking as fast as I can without looking suspicious when I see Sid, Stinky, Curly, and Harold all playing their instruments.

"Hey, it's Arnold!" I hear Harold say despite my efforts to not look them in the eye.

"Oh, hey guys. Look I'm in a rush so maybe I'll see you guys-"

"C'mon, what's so important that you gotta go to," Stinky says. His accent is as strong as ever.

"I'd love to any other time, really. I have to go," I say and try not to glance behind me.

"Sit with us, Arnold. We wanna hear what you've been up to! Also I could have sworn I saw you with Helga Pataki," Curly says and they all laugh.

I don't know why that comment bothers me and it bothers me even more how they all laughed.

"How is that funny? You guys don't know what she's been through the last four years." I feel defensive as hell and I don't like it.

"Woah, we were just kidding man. We were just wondering how you've been," Sid says and I take a breath. I know I am pretty much screwed right now if Gerald keeps walking and sees me stopped talking to these guys.

I take a glance behind me and don't see him anywhere. Maybe he went to the bathroom? Or maybe he left. Either way, I'm glad he's gone.

"I guess I can hang out for a bit," I say and sit down slowly.

"Where have you been? There were so many rumors," Sid asks.

"What kind of rumors?" I ask. I'm curious what people thought.

"Well one was you got expelled for bad grades," Stinky says.

"Oh yea, I remember that," Harold says. "Or your grandparents went broke and you had to move," he says and I almost cringe at the thought of them.

"Or that you took over the streets of Hillwood, shot all the cops, and destroyed the souls of all the civilians!" Curly exaggerates.

"No, no. It wasn't those things."

"Then what?" Curly asks.

"I, uh… I just got in some trouble so I had to go and live with Arnie. You guys remember my cousin."

"Oh, I remember that guy! He was weirder than a pimple on a pickle," Stinky says.

"Yeah well he's sort of my only other family so it was the only option I had," I say.

"What were you in for though?" Harold asks.

I don't want to tell them the truth but I have to make up something.

"Um, I just… vandalized something at school and got caught," I lie.

"Wow, Arnold. Didn't know you had it in ya," Stinky says and pats me on the shoulder.

"So tell us. You and Helga, huh?" Harold asks and raises his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I met her at the gym a couple weeks ago and we have been dating since. She's changed a lot," I add. I'm just waiting for them to ask me something perverted about her.

"Changed? How changed? I could see her as a total badass now. You know like the body that makes a man weak. And I could see her as a total tease," Sid laughs.

"She's not like that. And she's been our friend for years. You shouldn't talk about her like that," I say and look at my hands.

"Hey, we're just kidding. Is she good in bed?" Sid asks and strums his guitar some.

"Um," I don't want to tell them about what we do. I feel my cheeks getting hot thinking about it.

"He's blushing, that's when you know it's good," they all laugh and I'm humiliated.

"Oh, god," I say and hold my face in my hands.

"I don't think I have seen her since high school," Stinky says.

"She went into the army," I tell them.

"I could see Helga doing that and kicking some ass," Harold says and I just laugh picturing her shouting at the other guys.

Her ears must have been burning, because my phone rings and I see it's Helga calling me.

"It's her," I say and stand up to walk a few feet away. "Hey," I answer.

"Hey. I just got off. So want to meet up in like an hour or so?" she asks.

"Yeah, that's good. I'll walk over to your place and we can go." Even though she made me feel bad earlier, I can't help but be eager to hang out with her again.

I hear the guys making dumb remarks in the background but I ignore them.

"Okay. I missed you today," she says and it clouds my mind of any doubts I had earlier.

"I…" I look over to them and turn my back completely and mumble," I miss you too," I say. Sid, Harold, and Stinky all start laughing.

"Who's that?" Helga asks.

"No one," I say too fast. "I mean… I went to the park and I saw Harold, Stinky, and Sid so we just caught up a little."

"Oh, okay. That sounds fun," she says.

"Yeah, it's nice. So see you in an hour?"

"You got it, bucko."

"Okay, see ya," I say and hang up after she says goodbye.

"That was real cute, Arnold," Harold says and I just ignore it.

"So you guys are in a band or something?" I change the subject.

"Hell yeah! Trigger Youth!" Curly shouts.

"Have you guys gotten a lot of gigs? We saw you at the club that one night," I tell them.

"Not too many, but hopefully we will work our way up," Sid says.

"Yeah, well good luck with that. I think I'm going to head out now. I'm meeting Helga in an hour," I tell them and stand up. "I'm so glad I got to see you guys," I say and mean it.

They all stand up and give me those handshakes.

"Hopefully we'll see you around, man," Sid says and they all nod in agreement.

"I'll see you guys," I say and walk out of the park. I head back the way I came when a figure comes out from behind a tree.

"Gerald," I say almost in fear. He scared me because I wasn't expecting him. Was he watching me this whole time?

"Sup, man," he says casually and approaches me.

I stand my ground and keep a straight face.

"What do you want?" I ask.

"Nothing. I saw you earlier and just wanted to see how you were, but didn't want to bother you and them," he says and gestures to behind me.

"Yeah I haven't talked to them since I left," I say and look at anything but Gerald.

"So you're good? Since you moved back here I assumed so."

"I'm fine. I'm late for something though so I kind of have to go," I say trying to cut this short.

"Oh, all right. Well see you around," he says and I walk away.

I feel Gerald is sorry and wants to make things right, but I'm just not ready for that. Today has been weird and uncomfortable and I just want to go and watch a movie with Helga.


End file.
